A Bounty of Bengal Kittens

Bengal kittens have an unmistakable appeal. Some of us seek adventure, excitement, and danger, or at least versions of those qualities that are easily importable into the home. The Bengal kitten offers the look of the house cat's feral origins, but in a smaller, less-likely-to-eat-you package. We are several removes from peril of any kind today, because the next best thing to a kitten is pictures of kittens!

We at Catster are thrilled to bring you a series of adorable Bengal kitten pictures that explores the power/knowledge dyad. The more pictures of Bengal kittens you see, the more you'll recognize the power they have over you. By the end of this survey, the cumulative cuteness quotient may have you scrambling up a cat tree, or the desk in your office, and licking your fingers as though they were paws. Don't say I didn't warn you; instead, share the journey with all of your friends and family.

So...tiny! I want...to look away...but I can't! Posted by w-ickeddd on Tumblr.

Now begins the empire of Bengal kittens!

I know a lot of people who, like you, dear reader, are deeply invested in cute kitten pictures. I have done my best to gather together only the most outlandishly enchanting baby kittens, and I can only hope to satisfy the demands and live up to the expectations I have placed upon myself. Let's start out with a Bengal kitten on the go! I wouldn't advise letting your Bengal kittens roam freely about in a moving car, but this little friend has places to be!

This Bengal kitten should be wearing a seatbelt. Posted by kmcfaul on Tumblr.

Bengal kittens have distinctive markings, including the mascara-like patterns extending from the sides of the eyes, but they have a range of colorings and patterns. This is a Snow Bengal kitten, and it's altogether too beautiful. Since I find the overwhelming majority of the Bengal kittens here are brown, I thought I'd disrupt my own hegemonic discourse before it became a kind of totalizing pedagogy. There are indeed many varieties of Bengal kittens, and I wanted to give the Snow Bengal a fair chance to win your hearts.

The International Cat Association officially recognizes 13 different coat and pattern variations of Bengal cats for pedigree consideration. We are not so exclusive here, and when it comes to cute kitten pictures, it isn't a simple binary of Bengal kittens and not-Bengal kittens. Strict taxonomies of pedigrees are, after all, social constructs, and don't leave enough discursive space for simple cuteness. Just look at this Bengal kitten!

Bengal kittens trace their roots as a breed to what Homi Bhabha and others have called hybridity. Put simply, Bengal kittens were initially the product of a cross between domestic cats and Asian Leopard Cats. As they mature, Bengal kittens learn to mimic the actions of their owners, becoming adept at prying open doors and cabinets.

This Bengal kitten has a unique and striking fur pattern. Almost hypnotic! Posted by cinemaheaven on Tumblr.

As these are only pictures of Bengal kittens, you needn't have any anxiety about these Bengal kittens' tendency toward mimicry. The only real risk you run in seeing these Bengal kittens is running out of ways to say, "Aww!" We suggest you try phrases like, "Ah!" or "So cute!"

This Bengal kitten has found the perfect place to sit. Posted by Dillon on Tumblr.

It occurs to me now that, by showing you so many Bengal kittens of a certain age range and size, I could be seen as engaging in a production of truth that privileges only kittens, to the exclusion or elision of newborn kittens. I will step aside for a moment and allow this newborn Bengal kitten to represent himself! Note the latent power of those tiny little legs! One day they shall carry him to the top of your refrigerator!

Newborn kittens! Bengal kittens: the next generation. Photo by Sarah Burke on Tumblr.

Feel the steely gaze of this Bengal kitten. She would like you to know that even the name "Bengal kitten" is something of a misappropriated linguistic intervention, since they are not descended from the Bengal tiger. As I've stated, the contemporary Bengal kitten derives from the Asian Leopard Cat, whose accepted binomial classification is Prionailurus bengalensis, hence the name. On behalf of these Bengal kittens, I should also tell you that particular method of scientific nomenclature was developed by a 17th-century French botanist, Joseph Pitton de Tournefort. I do not know what Tournefort thought about cute kitten pictures. I think they're awesome.

If you're like me, you find yourself subjugated by the gaze of this Bengal kitten. Posted by horsesandpyramids on Tumblr.

Resistance is exhausting! I need a nap!

You, too, might need a rest after gazing upon all these Bengal kittens! They've certainly colonized my heart, and it will be quite some time before I have the strength to resist. Like this last Bengal kitten, I'm going to have to rest my eyes, which are full of joyful tears, and my voice, which is worn out from increasingly voluble cries of delight.

I sincerely hope you've enjoyed these cute kitten pictures. Bengal kittens are possessed of unique charms. They have the look of wild beasts on the prowl, but are far too tiny to do any mischief. Do you have any Bengal cats, or any pals or family members who do? Do you ever see one peeking out at windows in your neighborhood? Share your tales and photos of Bengal kittens in the comments!